The present invention relates generally to breastmilk pumps, and more particularly in one aspect to a breastshield apparatus having a capacity for delivering pressure, positive as well as negative, which can be independently applied in varying degrees and/or zones to better simulate the natural suckling action of a baby, among other advantages.
Breastpumps are well known, and generally comprise a hood or shield that fits over the breast, and a vacuum pump connected to the shield for generating an intermittent vacuum (negative pressure) within the shield. In its simplest and most common form, an intermittent suction action of the vacuum pump serves to pull on the breast and massage it so as to extract milk. The extracted milk typically drains from the shield into a collection container, such as a baby bottle, which is ordinarily attached directly to the breastshield apparatus.
Inserts for use within the hood or shield of a rigid breastshield assembly are also known, and have been used for sizing the breastshield. That is, an insert would be used in a larger funnel-shaped breastshield to reduce the internal diameter of the cone portion and/or nipple tunnel, for a smaller breast. Some rigid-type breastshields have also sometimes been employed with a flexible breast-engaging portion or device mounted interior of a rigid external support or frame, not so much as a sizing mechanism but in an attempt at improved milk expression as well as comfort. In the latter application, an intermittent suction (negative pressure) is applied in the space between the flexible membrane and outboard support, causing the membrane to cyclically collapse and then return to its rest state, thereby gently massaging the breast and/or the nipple, for milk expression.
In most instances, the pressure applied at the breast is a negative pressure (suction), as noted above. That negative pressure is typically applied to the interior of the breastshield in a singular fashion, that is, without any kind of differential pressure application over the breastshield as a whole. This has ordinarily been done through a cyclic pattern (e.g., intermittent) of suction only. There have also been some efforts to provide a breastshield which has a positive pressure applied at the breast, that is, a compressive force around a portion that is capable of expanding (inflating).
The present invention has its genesis in an improved breastshield, breastpump assembly and method for operating the same, which seeks to combine various attributes of positive and/or negative pressure applications, as well as differential sequencing of how one or both are applied in operation.
A breastshield for a breastpump has an inner shield part with an interior adapted to receive at least some of a woman""s breast including the nipple therein, and an outer shield part outboard to the inner shield part. The inner and outer shield parts are joined to form an enclosure defining a pressurizable chamber. The inner shield part further has at least a portion thereof movable relative to the outer shield part when the chamber is subject to one of a negative and a positive pressure.
A first pressure port is in communication with the chamber for connection with a fluid pressure source of a first pressure. A second pressure port is in communication with the interior for connection with a pressure source of a second pressure. The breastshield is thus capable of being subjected to two different pressures, such as a positive pressure to move (expand) the chamber into the interior, so as to compress or massage the nipple/breast, and a negative pressure in the interior to draw the nipple/breast further therein for the expression of milk. The pressures can furthermore be independently controlled. They could, moreover, alternate being negative and positive through the same pressure port.
It will be understood that the terms negative and positive as used herein are relative terms. A negative pressure could, for instance, merely be less positive than another pressure. Negative pressure in general as applied to the interior space is typically less than ambient (e.g., vacuum), however.
In one aspect of the invention, the flexible inner shield part conforms to and extends substantially along the entire length of a funnel-shaped interior to the outer shield part.
The invention further takes the form of a breastshield for breastmilk pumping having a rigid outer shield part, an inner shield part molded integrally within the said outer shield part, with the inner shield part forming an inner sidewall to the breastshield and thereby defining an interior adapted to receive therein and surround at least some of a woman""s breast including a nipple in a substantially airtight engagement with the breast. A flexible area is formed on the inner shield part, which is capable of movement relative to a breast received within the breastshield. This flexible area advantageously extends around a substantial part of the interior.
An expansible chamber is defined between the inner and outer shield parts, with the flexible area in communication with the chamber. A first port communicates with the chamber to connect a source of fluid pressure to the chamber, whereby application of a source of fluid pressure to the chamber causes the chamber to expand under positive pressure and contract under negative pressure to thereby move the flexible area. A second port communicates with the interior, whereby application of a source of negative pressure is communicated to the interior.
One embodiment along the immediately preceding lines has first and second expansible chambers defined between the inner and outer shield parts, with a flexible area in communication with each chamber. The first port communicates with the first chamber to connect the source of fluid pressure to the first chamber, and a third port is in communication with the second chamber to connect the source of fluid pressure to the second chamber. This enables the first chamber to be subjected to one fluid pressure while the second chamber is subjected to another and different fluid pressure.
Another aspect of the invention is an improved breastshield for a breastpump having an inflated bladder forming a generally toroidal part of the flexible inner shield part within which toroidal part a woman""s breast is received to extend toward the downstream part. This bladder is moved relative to the breast/nipple.
In yet another aspect of the invention, a breastshield for a breastpump has a base member with a port through which air and milk can pass. A breast receptacle is mounted on the base, and has an expansible chamber device with an inner flexible sidewall which further forms an interior space adapted to receive at least a portion of a woman""s breast including the nipple therein. A first port formed in one of the base and breast receptacle is in communication with an interior of the chamber for connection with a source of fluid pressure. A second port formed in one of the base and breast receptacle is in communication with the expansible chamber device for communication with the source of fluid pressure.
The foregoing breast receptacle is formed in a single piece with an inner shield part, an outer shield part spaced from the inner shield part and a smoothly curved top transition part, the inner, outer and top parts thereby defining the chamber surrounding the interior space. Further, the single piece of the breast receptacle can be designed to have an outer shield part with a greater wall thickness than the inner flexible sidewall, such that the outer shield part is relatively rigid compared to the inner shield part. In a modified form, the single piece of the breast receptacle is initially formed as a flexible-walled member enclosing an interior region with opposed first and second end openings to the interior space; the breast receptacle is then provided by causing the first end to be inverted into the interior region and then placed within the second end.
In still another aspect of the invention, a breastshield for breastmilk pumping has a rigid outer shield part, an inner shield part mounted within the outer shield part, with the inner shield part forming an inner sidewall to the breastshield and thereby defining an interior. A flexible area is formed on some or preferably a substantial portion of the inner shield part. The flexible area is capable of movement from a rest position relative to a breast received within the breastshield. A first space is defined between the flexible area and the outer shield part; the term space as used in this context simply implies a region that can either be an existing gap, cavity, etc., or being capable or yielding the same. A first port communicates with the space to connect a source of fluid pressure to the space, whereby application of a source of positive fluid pressure to the first space causes the space to expand to thereby move the flexible area inwardly relative to the rest position, and application of a source of negative fluid pressure to the space causes the space to contract to thereby move the flexible area outwardly relative to the rest position. A second port communicates with the interior, whereby application of a source of negative pressure to the interior causes the breast to be pulled further into the interior.
In another form of the immediately foregoing version, the breastshield further has a second space defined between the flexible area and the outer shield part. The second space is located downstream relative to the breast, and is isolated relative to the first space. The second port communicates with the second space to connect a source of fluid pressure to the second space. The first and second spaces are thus capable of expanding and contracting independently of each other. Of course, a third space can be defined between the flexible area and the outer shield part, and so on.
An embodiment along the same lines has concavities spaced around the interior of the outer shield part, into which the flexible area is pulled under vacuum.
Another aspect of the invention has a breastshield for a breastpump with a flexible breast receptacle part formed with a generally toroidal shape having a U-shaped or teardrop shape cross-section. An expansible chamber is defined within opposing walls of the receptacle part, and an interior is defined within the toroidal shape and is adapted to receive a nipple and surrounding breast of a mother. A base part has the receptacle part mounted thereto. A first port communicates with the expansible chamber for connection of a fluid pressure source thereto, and a second port communicates with the interior for connection of a pressure source thereto. One or both of the ports can be formed in the base part.
The breast receptacle of the foregoing embodiment is advantageously formed from a single piece of flexible material which yields an outboard circumferential sidewall extending into a smoothly curved forward wall and then extending into an inboard circumferential sidewall. The sidewalls are spaced from each other to form the expansible chamber. The forward wall defines an opening into the interior formed by the inboard circumferential sidewall, and the sidewalls terminate in a rearward wall end structure which is mounted to the base part. The rearward wall end structure is preferably removably mounted to the base part. This can be through the use of a rearward wall end structure that is an open ring-shaped channel formed by spacing the sidewalls apart, with the base part having a ring-shaped collar which is received in the ring-shaped channel and upon which the receptacle part is thereby sealably mounted. Another way is to have the rearward wall end structure formed by bringing the sidewalls together to form a ring, with the base part having a ring-shaped well within which the ring is received to thereby sealably mount the receptacle part to the base part.
In most if not all of the embodiments herein, a valve can further be provided between the pressure source and the first port, for one instance. The valve has a first position for maintaining a desired pressure level within the expansible chamber and a second position for releasing the pressure level.
In still another aspect of the invention, a breastshield for breastmilk pumping has a rigid outer shield part made of left and right portions which join together. An inner shield part is mounted within the outer shield part, the inner shield part forming an inner sidewall to the breastshield and defining an interior adapted to receive therein and surround at least some of a woman""s breast including a nipple in a substantially airtight engagement with the breast.
A flexible area is formed on said inner shield part, and is capable of movement relative to a breast received within the breastshield. A first space is defined between the flexible area and the outer shield part. A first port communicates with the first space to connect a source of fluid pressure thereto, whereby application of a source of positive fluid pressure to the first space causes the space to expand to thereby move the flexible area. A second port communicates with the interior, whereby application of a source of negative pressure to the interior causes the breast to be pulled further into the interior. Additional spaces, with respective ports, can be defined between the flexible area and the outer shield part, each space being isolated relative to one another, such that the spaces are capable of expanding and contracting independently of each other.
One such space can be an elongated section of the flexible area which extends into the interior. The elongated section is capable of being acted upon by a negative pressure applied outboard relative to the elongated section to thereby move away from the interior, and thereby generate a negative pressure within the interior while also serving to isolate the source of negative pressure from milk expressed within the interior.
The foregoing left and right portions may also be advantageously provided to engage in a clamshell arrangement around the inner shield part. They are releasably connected to enable removal of the inner shield part from the outer shield part.
In still another aspect of the invention, a breastshield and breastpump for breastmilk pumping a rigid outer shield part with an internal funnel-shape including a widened upstream end extending into a tubular portion which terminates in a downstream end. The widened upstream end has a circumferential rim.
A base has a mount within which the downstream end of the outer shield part is received. The base further has a conduit structure formed therein including a milk passageway for milk to flow through the base, as well as a first fluid passageway and a second fluid passageway.
A flexible shield part has a shape generally conforming to that of the internal funnel-shape and is received within the outer shield part. The flexible shield part includes a bladder which presents an internal sidewall defining an interior to the breastshield and which is adapted to receive a nipple and at least some surrounding breast therein in a generally sealing engagement with said flexible shield part.
An expansible area exists between the flexible shield part bladder and the outer shield part. A fluid aperture is formed in the outer shield part which communicates with the expansible area. The first fluid passageway communicates with the interior, and the second fluid passageway communicates with the fluid aperture when the outer shield part is mounted on the base.
The foregoing flexible shield part furthermore can advantageously have a circumferential upstream portion which snap-fits on the rim of the outer shield part, and a downstream portion which extends around the tubular portion downstream end to thereby form a gasket-like structure for the tubular portion facilitating mounting it with the base.
The breastpump of the foregoing embodiment in one form uses a first output as an intermittent negative pressure to draw the nipple and breast further downstream in the interior. A second output is an intermittent positive pressure to move the bladder inwardly relative to the interior.
The present invention will be further appreciated, and its attributes and advantages further understood, with reference to the detailed description below of a variety of presently contemplated embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: